


Captain Niall Sails Again

by armadillosunset



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Captain Niall Horan, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Niall will go down with his ship, One Shot, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff, day late dollar short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:54:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22745869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/armadillosunset/pseuds/armadillosunset
Summary: “Ni, What are you—?”“Shush!” Niall held up a hand to Liam, silencing him. “I have worked too hard for this to finally happen. You are not ruining it, understood?”“Ruin what?!”Niall gave Liam a glare as he reached up and yanked the boy down by the collar of his shirt. “My ship,” he whispered as he gestured to the scene before them, of two boys sitting side by side their backs toward them, “is about to sail.”It’s Valentine’s Day, and Niall is itching to set his favorite ship a sail once again.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Kudos: 67





	Captain Niall Sails Again

**Author's Note:**

> Here’s a belated Valentine’s Day fix for you all! I’m such a grinch about this holiday personally, but yet I can’t help but get inspired to write some Larry v-day cuteness. With bonus Niall!
> 
> I’d save it for next year but there’s a good chance I’d forget about it or completely hate it by then.
> 
> Maybe I’m just really, really early for next year ;)

“Come on, Harry! It’s as good a time as ever!” Niall crossed his arms as he leaned against the dresser in Harry’s hotel room. He watched as the tall boy flitted about the room, unpacking his things and changing his mind about what went where each time he pulled out another item from the bag on the bed.

“I just... I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?! Harry, you’ve been mulling this over for months. Just ask him already!”

“What if... what if it isn’t the right time?” Harry bit his lip, a worried look on his face as he arranged a small stack of books on the nightstand.

“Did you not hear me? It’s been months, and you haven’t even attempted to do anything even once!” Niall let out an exasperated sigh. “You’ve got to do something eventually. You just can’t sit on this forever.”

“I know, I know, but I just... I just don’t know how.” Harry plopped himself down on the edge of the bed and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s got to be sweet, romantic even. Something memorable.”

“Which is why,” Niall gave a sly grin as he stepped over and sat next to his friend on the hotel’s bed, “this is the perfect time. What’s more romantic than proposing to someone on Valentine’s day, hmm? It’s THE day for romance!”

“You have a point...”

“You bet I got a point! Now, come on, you love Louis, don’t you?”

Harry blushed as he grinned at his hands in his lap. “More than anything.”

“And you want to marry him, yeah?”

Harry simply nodded as his smile overtook him.

“Then there is absolutely no reason, none, for you to not ask him to marry you on valentine’s day.”

“There is one.” Harry glanced to his side.

“And might that be? And don’t say it’s the ring because you’ve already bought four and literally any of them will do the job fine.”

“No, it’s how. How do I ask him? Picking the day is one thing. The actions on that day are a completely different matter entirely.”

“Oh, you just let old Niall take care of that.” He patted Harry on the shoulder as he grinned, a twinkle in his Irish eyes. “Don’t you worry. Leave it to me and I promise you the most romantic evening for you to ask for your boyfriend’s hand in marriage. Just you see.”

x

“That is the stupidest, most cliche thing I have ever heard!” Louis scoffed as he rolled his eyes. The small cafe they sat in was slow this morning, not many people to overhear and not many people to bother them. “Proposing on Valentine’s day, really.”

“Not cliche, romantic.” Niall tipped his milkshake toward the other boy before taking a sip.

“Okay, So it’s the most romantic cliche thing ever. Why don’t I go buy a puppy for Christmas while I’m at it? Heck, Easter’s coming up soon! I should just go find a few rabbits and baby chicks too!”

“You think it’s cliche,” Niall sat forward to lean on the table between him and Louis, pointing a finger at him, “but Harry will think it’s the most romantic thing in the world. You, of anyone, knows he loves cheesy romantic stuff like that.”

Louis paused, considering those words. Finally he let out a sigh. “I suppose you’re right.”

“You know I’m right,” Niall smirked. “Besides, what have you got to lose? You’ve been holding on to that ring for ages, it’s about time you got it onto Harry’s finger. And this is the time to do it.”

“Since when do you care so much about me asking Harry to marry me?”

He raised his hands in surrender. “So sue me for wanting to help a friend out.”

“Still doesn’t answer my question,” Louis mumbled as he ate another chip. “But honestly, how do I even ask him? I can’t just randomly pop that kind of question. Like you say, he likes that sappy romantic shit. If it isn’t mind-numbingly sweet and romantic he’ll never let me live it down. I mean, he’ll say yes regardless, I know that, but a shitty proposal will be hanging over me head for the rest of me life.” 

“Don’t you worry,” a mischievous smile spread across Niall’s face. “I have an idea.”

x

“Ni, What are you—?”

“Shush!” Niall held up a hand to Liam, silencing him. “I have worked too hard for this to finally happen. You are not ruining it, understood?”

“Ruin what?!”

Niall gave Liam a glare as he reached up and yanked the boy down by the collar of his shirt. “My ship,” he whispered as he gestured to the scene before them, of two boys sitting side by side their backs toward them, “is about to sail.”

“Mmm, still doesn’t explain why this is like your tenth trip carrying flowers down the hall.”

Niall released Liam and picked up the wreath of flowers he had set down. He nodded for Liam to follow him. “They’re distracting each other while I get a little something together. So be quiet.”

“Something like, what, exactly. Do I even want to know?”

Niall rolled his eyes as he stepped through a doorway. “You’re following me, ain’t ya? Anyway. Do you know what today is?”

“Valentine’s Day.”

“Exactly. Most romantic day of the year. All I did,” he explained as if this were really all simple logic, “was offer my services to help two people who are utterly in love finally—FINALLY—do something a bit romantic for each other.” He paused outside a closed door.

Liam just just raised a brow, unsure of where exactly this conversation was going—nevertheless where it had come from.

“And now that you’re in on it,” Niall opened the door and stepped in, allowing Liam to follow. “You can help me finish setting up.”

Liam simply stood, gawking at the room around him. “God help us all.”

x

“You’re sure? You’re sure it’s all good, it’s all gonna work out fine?” Louis gulped as he looked at himself in the mirror.

“It’s going to be perfect. Trust me.” Niall clapped the other boy on his shoulders, grinning at their reflections.

“You know, you keep saying to trust you and that is making me really not want to trust you.”

“It’s going to be fine.”

“How do I even get him to leave the room when I don’t even know where we’re going?!”

“What part of ‘I have everything taken care of’ do you not understand?” He brushed a bit of lint off Louis’s sleeve. “Just go out there, casually say something about having something planned. Once you open the door, everything will be fine. You’ll know where to go.”

Louis gave the boy a wary look through the mirror. His face fell as he took a deep breath. “I’m really about to do this.”

“Yes, you are.” Niall gently pulled Louis from the mirror and sat him down on the edge of the bed. “Now, you just take a moment, gather yourself together. Gimme a few to get my stuff and get out of here, so you have the place to yourselves.”

Louis simply nodded before looking as the ceiling, trying to calm down as he took deep breaths.

Walking backward Niall grinned at the boy. This was all going to be perfect. He opened the door to the main area of the hotel room and stepped through it backward. After closing the door, he turned and collided into a soft wall.

“Niall, I can’t do this!” Harry’s voice was a panicked hiss directly into Niall’s face, their faces almost touching.

“Jesus, Harry!” Niall clutched his chest as his heart pounded from the shock. He steered the boy away from the bedroom door so Louis wouldn’t hear. “What are you talking about?”

“I can’t do this! Not today! I’m not... I’m not...”

“Yes, you are.” He pushed Harry down by his shoulders onto the couch. He managed to talk down one of them already, might as well make it an even two. “You’ve been wanting to do this for how long? I’m just giving you that little push to get off your ass and actually do it, before that ring becomes a vintage style.”

Harry let out a chuckle, his shoulders relaxing.

“There we go. Now, don’t worry. I got everything taken care of. You and Louis just go out that door and follow the little trail I made. All you need to worry about is which knee you want to get down on.”

“Yeah. Okay.” Harry looked up at Niall standing over him. “So this is really happening.”

“Oh yeah. For sure.”

“Thanks, Niall. I appreciate everything.”

“Eh, What are friends for?” Niall shrugged with a smile. “Now, I’m just going to pop on out. Give you two some space. Good luck—not that you need it, that man is in love with you.”

Niall gave a wave as he stepped out the door and into the hallway of the hotel, careful to avoid the trail of flower petals that began at the door and travelled down the carpeted floor to what, until this afternoon, was an unused meeting room. He rubbed his hands together; this plan was coming together better than he even imagined it would. Without wasting any more time, he sprinted a couple doors down to the suite he shared with Liam.

“What’s got you all excited?” Liam commented from his perch on the couch as Niall turned the television on and configured something on the side before flopping down next to him.

“It’s starting! The ship is about to sail!” Niall couldn’t recall ever being this giddy with excitement over something.

Liam just raised an eyebrow as he continued to scroll through his phone. “They’re both going there, expecting to be the one proposing?”

“Mmm-Hmm.” Niall nodded his head, practically bouncing on the seat as he stared at the screen, waiting for Harry or Louis to appear. He had set up a small camera in the room, explaining to Liam, when he expressed his concerns, that loads of people would love to have their proposals videotaped and saved to watch later. In reality, Niall just wanted to watch his whole plan come to completion.

“And neither of them knows that the other one is planning to propose?”

“Nope.”

“So What happens to the other when the first actually proposes? If they’re both expecting to be the one, you know, doing it?”

Time came to a screeching halt as Niall’s eyes shot wide. Shit. He hadn’t thought of that.

x

The walk down the hall was almost more than Louis could bear. His heart was beating out of his chest, the beats pounding through his ears and he could barely hear Harry speak. He had to focus to understand each syllable. Harry wasn’t doing much better; he needed to focus more on walking properly and not stumbling down the unobstructed hallway than sifting out words between rushes of blood.

It had started out easy enough. Louis had walked out of the bedroom almost as soon as Niall left. “Happy Valentines’ love,” the short boy whispered as he gave Harry a quick kiss. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Harry grinned. “I have one for you, too.”

Both boys laughed as they made their way toward the door. As Louis opened it, they both made a surprised face as they saw the trail of flower petals leading away from the door.

“Act surprised,” Niall had told Louis. And Harry as well. “Let him think you have no idea what’s going on. Builds the suspense.”

They followed the trail, play bickering over who was going to give their surprise first. The trail ended at a closed door where Harry reached out to turn the handle. It opened effortlessly and the pair stepped inside.

They were both instantly awestruck, hands over mouths as they gazed around them. It was a small meeting room with a large table in the middle and a dozen chairs placed around it. But it was that that was taking their breaths away. The overhead lights were off, but the entire room was basked in a soft warm glow from strings of lights hung in waves from the ceiling and walls. Flowers were everywhere. Every kind, every style of bouquet—it ought to have looked like a floral shop exploded, but, somehow, it all blended together beautifully. Petals littered the floor and the table top. 

On the far side of the table, a large display of roses were displayed in a heart shape, the same soft glowing lights wound around the sculpture, lighting it up. The two boys found themselves standing in front of it as they slowly walked, absorbing their surroundings.

“Ain’t this somethin.” Louis whispered to himself.

“Amazing!” Harry spoke low enough that Louis was unable to hear. Feeling a hand on his arm, he turned around to find Louis standing close, a shy smile gracing his face.

“Harry, I’ve been wanting—.”

“Lou, no, let me—.”

“Haz. Please.” He gave the tall one’s hands a squeeze. “Please, just let me finish.”  
“Okay.”

“Okay.” Louis took a breath, steadying himself. “I wanted to do somethin special, because I’ve been meanin to do this for a long time, and... and I... and I wanted... Harry will you marry me?” The final words came out in a rush as Louis flipped open the small box in his hand, displaying his ring for Harry to see.

Harry froze, seeing the ring in Louis’s hand. Next thing he knew he was throwing his head back in laughter.

“Harry? Harry! Honestly, why did I even—!”

“No! No! Not that, I mean, yes! Yes, Louis. I’ll marry you,” a look of relief washed over Louis after Harry’s sudden outburst, “but, only if you marry me.”

Harry grinned as he slid a box out of his own pocket, opening it for Louis.

“Seriously? You’re serious?” Now it was Louis’s turn to laugh. “I mean, yeah. Yes. Of course. ‘S only fair, really.”

“I know right? The chances.” The pair exchanged their rings with a kiss, laughter still ringing in the air. “Not to spoil the moment, but Niall really outdid himself here.” Harry motioned to the room around them.

“Yeah he really—Wait, how did you know Niall set this up?” Louis raised an eyebrow, pulling away from Harry. The pair quickly discussed their interactions with the blonde boy, leading up to this moment.

Harry let out a final laugh, pulling Louis back to him. “I think we just got played by a leprechaun on Valentine’s Day.”

“That boyo is gonna be needin the luck ‘o the Irish once I catch up to him.”


End file.
